In recent years the prevalence of occupancy sensors in lighting systems has increased. Occupancy sensors are designed to save energy in lighting systems by detecting the presence or absence of a moving object in an area of coverage and switching a light source on or off depending on such presence or absence. For example, when motion is detected within an area of coverage of an occupancy sensor, a light source that is associated with the occupancy sensor is turned on. Alternatively, when motion is not detected in the area of coverage, indicating that the area of coverage is not occupied, the light source is turned off after a predetermined period of time. Occupancy sensors thus provide electrical energy savings by automating the functions of a light switch or other mechanism that controls the supply of electrical power to a light source.
Modern occupancy sensors often include enhanced functionality, with configuration features that can only be accessed and adjusted by a user having direct physical access to the sensor. For sensors positioned in elevated locations this is inconvenient and can pose a safety hazard as it requires the user to be on a ladder in order to access the sensor. To avoid this, some occupancy sensors have been designed to be remotely configurable so that a user standing on the ground can configure the occupancy sensor positioned on a ceiling, high wall, or the like.
Remote configuration can be achieved using a wireless device capable of establishing a wireless connection with the occupancy sensor. Once the wireless connection to the occupancy sensors has been established, an installer or system operator can use the remote device to configure one or more operational parameters of the occupancy sensor.
After the configuration parameters of the occupancy sensor have been set or adjusted, the wireless transceiver of the occupancy sensor can be deactivated to prevent tampering (e.g., unauthorized changes to settings) and to mitigate screen clutter on unrelated remote wireless devices (e.g., smartphones, tablets, laptops, etc.) that might otherwise detect and list the occupancy sensor in a wireless connection menu. Such deactivation can be performed manually (e.g., via a button press on the sensor) or automatically (e.g., via a predetermined period of time or a timeout period).
As will be appreciated, it may be desirable at some later time to reactivate the wireless transceiver of the occupancy sensor in order to facilitate reconfiguration and/or recommissioning of the occupancy sensor. With current occupancy sensors, however, reactivation of the wireless transceiver cannot be achieved remotely, but instead must be performed by a user pressing a reset button on the occupancy sensor or by disconnecting the occupancy sensor from its power source, waiting a predetermined period of time (e.g., 10 seconds), and reconnecting the occupancy sensor to its power source.
As mentioned, since occupancy sensors are often installed in ceilings and in other locations that are difficult to access, it therefore necessary for a system operator or technician to employ a ladder, lift, or other assistive device in order to reactivate an occupancy sensor's wireless transceiver. As mentioned, this can be inconvenient and can pose a safety hazard as it requires the user to be on a ladder in order to access the sensor. It can also be labor intensive and time consuming for instances in the wireless transceivers of a large number of occupancy sensors are being reactivated.
In view of the foregoing, it would be advantageous to provide a system and method for facilitating remote reactivation of an occupancy sensor's wireless transceiver, thus eliminating the need for a technician to physically access the occupancy sensor. It would further be advantageous to provide such a system and method that require a technician to be in the immediate vicinity of an occupancy sensor (e.g., in the same room) when reactivation is performed in order to prevent remote tampering with the occupancy sensor and to avoid confusion between occupancy sensors in a lighting system.